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I am simultaneously impressed and bored by toilets.
Impressed because:
When you think about it, it’s kind of a miracle that humankind has figured out a system in which everyone’s shit just magically disappears. And the fact that some form of plumbing has existed since ancient times…it’s astounding, really.
Bored because:
The toilet has hardly evolved since the 20th century. It has become standard, uninteresting, and frankly, ugly. (BTW, same thing goes for light switches, although that’s changing. You can read my exploration in the New York Times here.)
Everywhere you go, it’s the same design rendered in white, which is truly a terrible color for a toilet. Apparently, toilets are white because that is the natural hue of porcelain after it’s fired. I’d also imagine it had something to do with the Victorians, who popularized subway tile as a material that was deemed most sanitary.
But, if you look hard enough, there are several instances of people who have dared to reinterpret the toilet, which we’ll be examining in today’s post. We’ll also look at sources for great toilets should you be considering a bathroom renovation anytime soon.
Apropos of kind of nothing, here is a kid on Instagram who is obsessed with toilets:
